Late Warring States period to early Han dynasty,
3rd to 2nd century BC
Height: 10 in (26 cm) excluding handle

The tall vase of cylindrical form is raised on three small feet, with two taotie-mask handles connected to a handle that rises above the container and connects by a chain with a flush-fitting lid. The surface is covered with a lovely patina of green and red tones.

For a smaller, but very similar example in the British Museum, see Christian Deydier, Chinese Bronzes (New York: 1980), cat. no. 83.

Microscopic and chemical analysis have been performed by Orenda Laboratories and support the above dating.